There are many things that can be learned from studying the history of other parts of the world, but just what can the American city of Philadelphia learn from Medieval France and Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral? Michael Leibrandt considers this question.
A depiction of Napoleon Bonaparte arriving at NotreDame Cathedral for his coronation as emperor in December 1804.
In Philadelphia we like to think that our colonial roots in history — some of the oldest and most important from the inception of the U.S. — is pretty ancient. But when is comes to the history from across the pond — from our ancestors who spawned European colonization to these colonies — we’re actually relatively youthful.
What we do have, is some of the very first history given to us from the earliest days of William Penn’s Philadelphia. Penn wasn’t just interested in a temporary settlement at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers in the 17th century. His metropolis — who name was chosen from the roots of Greek mythology — was built to last.
This week, the historic Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral — located in the 4th arrondissement on an island in the River Seine in Paris, France — reopens to the public for the first time in nearly five years. In April of 2019, the Cathedral fell victim to a fire to its structure on the roof area including its iconic spire. The resulting damage led to Notre Dame not holding a Christmas Mass for the first year since 1803.
The vision of Bishop Maurice de Sully in 1163, Notre Dame Cathedral was finally substantially complete in 1260. Through the centuries, Notre Dame Cathedral was the site of many historic events. It saw the signing of the Magnificat which liberated Paris from German control during World War II eighty years ago, saw the funerals of many French Presidents, and even was the site of Emperor Napoleon’s coronation in 1804.
Back home in Philadelphia across the Atlantic Ocean, Philadelphia’s oldest remaining structure and oldest Church in Pennsylvania was damaged in April 1964 when lighting ignited a fire sixty years ago in Old Swedes (Gloria Dei) Church under Christopher Columbus Blvd. The resulting fire damaged the roof forcing repairs to be made.
Also in 1964 — South Philadelphia’s Third Baptist Church burned to the ground and could not be saved causing $400,000 worth of damage. Within five years, the church was rebuilt and was dedicated in September of 1969. The rebuilt structure kept alive the Third Baptist Church which had been a South Philadelphia landmark since 1811.
In May of 2021 in Northeast Philadelphia — St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Tacony was burned beyond repair. Four suspects were charged in the arson of the church whose original structure that dates between 1885–1895. St. Leo’s memories were relegated to its historical time capsules.
But what Notre Dame’s five year, $740 million restoration that included some 2,000 architects isn’t just a financial commitment of epic proportions. It’s paying a homage to the past that won’t let the most historic architecture be demolished when met with modern day disasters. Philadelphia — one of America’s oldest cities that still in 2024 contains architecture from the days of its founder William Penn — shares that same resolve.
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Michael Thomas Leibrandt lives and works in Abington Township, PA.
